The exhibition ‘Plats de Manises’ opened on Saturday 21 January at the Olaria Museum in the Portuguese city of Barcelos. The exhibition will be on display for two months, until 21 March. This action, together with our presence in IFEMA, opens the agenda of events for 2023 as a UNESCO Creative City.
The inauguration was attended by our mayor, Jesús Borràs i Sanchis, the councillor for Tourism, Àngel Mora and the councillor for the Promotion of Ceramics, Xavier Morant. On the part of Barcelos, the mayor Mário Constantino, the director of the Olaria Museum, Claudia Milhazes, and other members of the Barcelos corporation attended the event. The Mayor of Barcelos stressed that: “Like Barcelos, Manises is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. So the similarity between the two territories is not only limited to the distinction and international recognition by UNESCO, but extends to the fact that they are in the same Creative City modality – Crafts and Folk Art – and, in this field, we share a centuries-old productive tradition, which is the art of making ceramics”.
Due to this close connection, it was the perfect circumstance for ‘Plats de Manises’ to travel to Portugal. An ideal occasion for the history of our town to cross borders, as our mayor, Jesús Borrás, points out, “belonging to the UNESCO Creative Cities network allows us to establish links with other cities and, as in the case of this exhibition, to put the name of Manises on the map at a global level”.
Through this exhibition of typical dishes from Manises, the relationship between local cuisine and our hallmark: ceramics. In addition to showing different ceramic techniques transferred to these pieces.
In the exhibition, the dishes are arranged on a table, giving them their real location and context. Each one is accompanied by the name and surname of the artisan who made it, thus highlighting many of those who have perpetuated and continued the centuries-old tradition of the town: Aliarte Cerámica, Arturo Mora, Cerámicas Chenoll, Cerámicas Palanca, Plat y Bol, Pepe Royo, Domanises, Drac Cerámico, Gresnaler, la Botiga de Gema, José Gimeno, Rafael Mora and Art TVS.
This close relationship is evident in the book ‘Plats de Manises’. Different copies of the book accompany the exhibition so that all those who visit it can learn about the marriage between two fundamental elements of the city: gastronomy and ceramics.
People who visit the exhibition and share their experience on Instagram by posting a story or a photo/video on their profile tagging the Instagram account of Barcelos City Council and Manises City of Ceramics will be entered into a draw to win a pack of bowls. The draw will be launched on 24 February and will end on 21 March. 3 packs of Manises bowls will be drawn from all participants and will be sent to 3 different winners.
